Leading up to the return to work, employers should be clearly stating what they are doing to make the workplace safe, Neuberger said. “You have to build trust and confidence with your employees,” he said. Under guidelines set by OSHA, employers have a general duty to provide a safe and healthy work environment. What exactly that means is still unclear during this pandemic.

“I think employers will have to be a bit more flexible in their demands,” Neuberger said. “There is nothing to gain by forcing an unreasonably fearful employee back to work. Firing people, or forcing people back who are uncomfortable, is bad for morale. If they’ve been working from home, what’s the harm in stalling a little longer?”